Today's news

CHARTER UPHEAVAL: The Language Academy, under threat of closure by the Pasco school district, fires its principal, saying she isn't up to the task. Two board members also resign.

QUALITY COUNTS: Many states focus on quality when deciding whether to approve charter schools, while Florida doesn't even require closure of failing charters, the Orlando Sentinel reports.

CLASS SIZE CHANGES? A measure moving through the House to scale back the amendment, doesn't have much support in the Senate, where it heads to committee next, the Lakeland Ledger reports.

FOLLOWING FLORIDA: California adopts a growth model to assess whether schools are making progress with all groups of students, which could cause school grades to drop like a rock. If schools don't close the achievement gap, they won't make the grade, the LA Times reports.

GET OUT: Parents in a D.C. suburb are pushing to ban military recruiters from school hallways, cafeterias and sporting events, the Washington Post reports.

UTAH VOUCHERS: A group's effort to force a referendum on the nation's first universal school voucher program will not stop the program, according to the Utah attorney general, the Salt Lake Tribune reports.

About the blog

Gradebook features education articles and insights on schools in Florida, focusing on Tampa Bay area schools. What's the latest from the Florida Department of Education? How is the FCAT being used to compare Florida schools? What's going on in Tampa Bay schools? Get an insider's view from the Times education reporting team.